the_mysterious_mr_enterfandomcom-20200214-history
My thoughts towards higher education
One message that I've gotten quite frequently is that some of work is subpar or could be better if I took some time off from my various projects and went to college and learned something more about the medium. For the most part, I'd ignore them. Even though I've almost always had my opinions towards college and university and they've always been strong, and yet I've always been hesitant to tell even my closest friends about them. Me, a critic, who spends most of his time giving opinions on things, is hesitant on telling his opinion on something. No joke, I was more willing to tell my opinions on circumcision - a topic that delves into the waters of both religion and gender - before I was willing to even say why I didn't go to college. Why is that? Because even in real life people seem to get offended when I tell them that I don't want to go, or it isn't right for me, or whatever. Let me say that I am not critiquing your life style or your choice to go to college. If you chose to go to college it was most likely the right choice for you. I don't know that. I am only here to detail my experiences and my reasons. Let's start with how people sold the concept of "going to college" to me. My parents: "We are going to steal every penny you ever make so you can go to some place that you have actively shown no interest in." (or later on) "actively shown disinterest in." I don't know if it's irrelevant or not, but that money didn't last in the house or in the bank or whatever for 2 months, let alone 10 years. This is something that I can't defend though. If you want your kids to go to college, taking their birthday or contest money for the thing is not going to make them interested in the prospect. All it really did was get me to spend whatever money I have as quickly as possible so it wouldn't be taken. But that's neither here nor there. School: "We're only interested in numbers." Hey, hey high school. How many people that graduated from you that went onto college is about as relevant as how many people who graduated from you went onto be fishermen. When a high school is more interested in getting people into college then getting them to actually learn something... that's just a problem in general with society. I have a lot of problems with lower education too, especially this notion that "everyone has to go to college" (even if you want to go into blue collar work). Well I have more problems with standardized tests, but that's neither here nor there. Teachers: "If you're not good at this thing, you're going to have a hell of a time in college" she said to the teenager who sucked in school due to social anxiety and asperger's syndrome. Teachers (again): "It's not about what you're learning in college, it's the people that you get in touch with" he said to the teenager with social anxiety. 'The internet: '"You waste four years of your life for a piece of paper that gives you the ability to do a job that you may or may not like that may or may not exist at that point, and you'll be in debt for the next ten years (if you're lucky)" Regardless of what is true, the internet made the best "sell." If I was afraid of going into a major that output a career that wouldn't exist anymore in four years, I'd probably be paranoid. No, I had a different fear. I was afraid that I'd be going into a major and that subject would be something I found out that I didn't really like (read my article on Asperger's syndrome) and then I'd be stuck doing that thing I didn't like for the rest of my life. The counter-argument to that: you can change your major later. Here's the facts. In high school, I would have gone to college (if you held a gun to my head) for psychology. Four years later, when I would have been on the cusp of graduation, I am now really interested in animation. Yes, I would have found out what I wanted to do with my life and if I'd go on with what everyone said, it would be too late for me to go on with my real passion. I feel that forcing people to go onto higher education pigeon-holes people. Not many 18-year-olds truly know what they want to do with their life. Not to mention that there are terrible teachers and professors that could kill anyone's enthusiasm in any subject. Alright, but now I know what I want to do with my life (provided the Asperger's isn't playing another huge joke on me). Why don't I go to college right now? The answer is quite simple: I can't afford it. That was true... for forever. Yeah, my high school didn't care if you could afford it--you just hadda pass those standardized tests and then you hadda go to college. Here's my impression of high school giving me instructions on how to get to grandma's house. "Get on the high way. When you're on the high, figure it out yourself. Don't care if you're going in the totally wrong direction. As long as you're on the high way, you're on the right track." My parents certainly couldn't afford it. And no, I don't consider being able to take out a student loan "being able to afford it." I will never defend student loans. They are a very, very bad business (and yes, it is an industry). Right now America has over 1 trillion dollars in student loan debt. That's more than credit card debt. Not to mention, that student loan debt is... different than most other debts. First of all, you can't declare bankruptcy on student loan debt. Do you know what you can declare bankruptcy on? Reckless business decisions. Gambling. Racking up credit card debt. Federal Law apparently puts less value on getting an education than investing stock in Enron (a company that has been dead for over a decade). Anyone can get a student loan. Even if they're going into philosophy or German History. Yes, in America we have so many majors that do nothing and only allow students to become teachers of that major to get more young adults to take out more debt. Why? Because banks can't get any more money out of letting people take out risky mortgages. Alright, but let's be very generous. I take out this loan and I go to college. My passions don't change because me and the workload doesn't kill me (if you drop out, you still have to pay back these student loans. You don't get anything back), and I'm able to get a job, hopefully in my chosen field (Oh not to mention that I need to essentially guess what the job opportunities for my chosen major are, four years in the future.) No matter what, I'm still going to need to start paying back this loan, or else my credit score will be jacked to shit and I won't be able to take out any future loans, or rent an apartment, or I'll be living in property owned by my family (like I am now. I'll just have some debt to join me). If I don't pay back this money because the entry level job I took doesn't give me enough, the federal government is allowed to garnish my wages, seize my tax refunds, and take the social security of anyone who co-signed the loan with me. Sorry grandparents, I knew you were trying to retire, but... Hopefully this will leave me enough money left over for... food. Maybe heating. Oh who am I kidding, I'd probably be still paying off my college text books, which have small edits each year so you're not allowed to buy 150 dollar text books used. Needless to say that asking an 18-year-old who had no idea what he was going to do with his life to get into this situation was... a futile endeavor. I mean, think about the message here. High school was teaching teenagers that they NEED to take out a debt, without understanding any of the details, that they don't know for certain they can pay back. Yeah, the guidance counselor trying to trick (and yes, deliberate use of that word) me into taking out one of these loans gleefully sidestepped even the fact that it was a loan. "Just take it out, you'll be able to pay it back later... doing whatever you want to do." If you're going to college, please don't take out a student loan. And if you already have, don't ever default. Trust me, that would make everything worse. Honestly, I consider the student loan industry classism (prejudice towards poor or rich people. In this case, poor). This is an American thing by the way. I don't know how many other countries' colleges operate, although I know that many of them have free education To put it succinctly. I finally found that thing that I'm interested enough in to sacrifice my personal life for four years. It only took four years: the exact amount of time that would pigeon-hole me into something I didn't truly want to do. I'd go now, except I can't afford it and I'd feel safer taking out a loan from the mob than a student loan program. Now all I gotta do is save up for it. I'm not kidding by the way, I am trying to save up for it. There really isn't many other ways I can do it. I mean there would be scholarships, but the whole "Bad student" thing isn't helping. And yes, even affording a community college would set me back too much right now (even though everyone who has suggested to that to me assumed I had to go to an expensive university afterwards). If you want to know my financial situation. What I make from freelance writing allows me to at least live and eat and stuff and pay rent. 95% of my extra (spending) comes from reviewing. A good chunk of that goes into therapy, allowing me to beat my social anxiety and stuff. My insurance doesn't cover therapy (I actually do have insurance). I'd get better insurance, but it wouldn't put me in a better financial position. Not to mention that I shouldn't really over-draw (put a necessity on the tab of the internet funds. Therapy is a quasi-necessity). In the past, I have been very hostile to people telling me to go to college, and I'm sorry. It's kind of bitterness. Bitterness towards, pretty much all of this. Don't let my words change your attitude towards college. These are my biases and my opinions on the matter. College might be the right road for me, but I can't pay the toll and I'm not going to ride with the shady guy smoking the cigar who can. I'd love to hear your opinions on the matter, and maybe any safer financial roads. Category:Miscellaneous